Feb 24 Hey Shorty!

I've been toying with the idea of cutting my hair for a some time. Haven't we all at some point? Everytime the thought enters my mind, the same questions swirl around my head. How will I look with short hair? What if I just did bangs? Can I pull it off? What if I miss my long hair? You know, all super important questions that go through our heads as we enter the salon? What is our obsession with our hair? Was it only my new found obsession? What are the real reasons we cut our hair? What was MY reason for wanting to chop my locks? I asked as many people as I could (sisters, friends, clients, even neighbors) to figure out the real reasons women cut their hair. I had to dig deep (while looking at myself in the mirror as I sat in the salon chair before the first snip was made) to come to the realization of why I wanted to cut almost 8 inches off my own hair.

This is what I found:

1. Mommy hair: One of my friends said that after she became a mom, she found that having short hair saved her a ton of time when she was trying to get the kiddos out the door in the mornings. Plus, she started to notice that most moms had shorter hair and thought of it as a right of passage. So she chopped off 4 inches and never looked back!

2. Happy Birthday!: According to a interesting blog post that my neighbor shared with me called, Things to Stop Doing When You Turn 30, it clearly states that once you hit the big 3-0 it's time to ditch the long ponytails and beach waves (and wearing jean skirts among other things). She said that when she hit 30 she felt there was more pressure to cut her hair and have a mature look. So she did.

3. The breakup: One of my lifelong friends announced on Facebook that she was getting divorced by debuting her new pixie cut. It was a mic drop moment. She looked completely different. Later she told me so was so deeply upset by the whole situation that she just wanted a fresh start and her hair was the first step.

4. Trendy girl: One of friends is always on the cutting edge of trends. I think it all started with her love of Victoria Beckham. Remember when Victoria cut her hair realy short? Short hair = chic. My friend is the one who told me about the "LOB" (see my picture above) as in the long bob. It's a haircut that is long in the front and short in the back. Apparently it was created for those of us who are constantly on the fence about cutting our hair.

5. Damaged Hair: Another one of my friends who has pretty much the same hair color as Kim Kardashian decided that she wanted to turn blonde last year. YOLO, right? After many trips to the salon (and many conversations with her stylist), she became a platnium blonde. The process of continually dying her hair eventually left it dry and damaged. In January, she decided to cut her long blonde hair and step away from the bleach to get her hair back to a healthy state.

Can you relate to any of these reasons? Do you think there are any guidelines that women should follow? Well, here's my reason and opinion...

My Reason: Just because I wanted to. Really. Swear.

I personally believe you should ALWAYS do what makes you feel good. No rules. No expectations. Just be you. So, if that means you are one of the only moms at your play group with long hair - rock on! If you just turned 30 (or 60) and want to wear you're long hair (don't care) with beach waves - go for it! If cutting your hair is a symbolic gesture to rid yourself of a dirtbag husband (or boyfriend) - chop away! If you want to strut your stuff on your personal runway and work it like Beckham - the world's your stage. And if you have the guts to be so bold to completely change your hair color - tells us do blondes have more fun?